Identifying Wires for Heated Towel Rail Switch

[dvent]

Hi,

I have had a tenant in a property containing a heated towel rail switch (switch with a fuse). This has been taken off the wall as it was cracked, but now the wires are sitting in blocks ready to go into a new switch.

The problem however is that there are a number of wires to go back into the switch. How do I identify which are to go into the supply and which into the load.

Thanks
dvent

 

[17thman]

do you have a voltage tester or multi meter?

 

[17thman]

what colours are the outer sheath of the cables?

 

[dvent]

do you have a voltage tester or multi meter?

Yes - I have a multi meter.

 

[dvent]

In terms of wires I have:

3 LIVE
3 NEUTRAL
2 EARTH

Apparently when the wires were taken off, two of the live wires were in the same point on the switch.

 

[17thman]

you may have a double insulated towel rail having only 2 earths, are any of the cables stranded

 

[dvent]

you may have a double insulated towel rail having only 2 earths, are any of the cables stranded

I'm not sure how I would know if they were stranded? Are you talking about the earth cables?

 

[17thman]

post a picture

 

[securespark]

Without pictures, we could be yet again urinating in a gale, but my guess is that it is a Class II appliance and the other conductors are the RF.

OP, can you not tell at all which are which?

For example, you can see the wire feeding the rail presumably?

What colour is the outer sheath?

Is it a circular cross-section?

Does the same cable appear in the switch box?

 

[17thman]

you say you own a multi meter. with all conductors definately separated whilst power off, turn it back on. If you have voltage between L and N and L and E and no voltage between N and E on two of the cables then the third is the cable to the rail. If no voltage on 2 of them then it could be a radial circuit. what is the rating of the fuse in the consumer unit (fuse board)

 

[dvent]

I will get some photos from the property tomorrow.

Where the towel rail attaches to the wall in the bathroom, it feeds into a box on the wall. The switch is located outside the bathroom below the light switch about 1 foot from the floor.

From memory, there are two main wires in the wall - both with a grey outer sheath.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Don't landlords have a duty of care to their tenants?

Not sure I'd fancy renting a property where someone as clueless as you had been fiddling with the electrics.

FGS get an electrician.

 

[dvent]

Sparkie has been round and sorted. 5 minute job!